1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solenoid-operated valve which makes it possible to avoid any abutment sound during the operation and maintain quietness.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solenoid-operated valve has been hitherto used to control the flow direction of compressed air, for example, by supplying the compressed air to an actuator or discharging the compressed air to the atmospheric air.
Such a solenoid-operated valve concerning the conventional technique generally adopts a system in which a valve plug is operated by means of a solenoid (electromagnet). The solenoid-operated valve comprises, for example, an unillustrated fixed iron core, a coil, and a movable iron core.
In this arrangement, the attracting force is generated by applying an electric power to the coil. The movable iron core is displaced by the attracting force, and thus the valve plug is operated.
However, the solenoid-operated valve concerning the conventional technique as described above involves the following inconvenience. That is, when the electric power is applied to the coil to displace the valve plug, or when the electric power application to the coil is stopped to restore the valve plug to the original position, then the valve plug or a member to make displacement integrally with the valve plug collides with another member, and the abutment sound is generated.
Further, another inconvenience arises as follows. That is, the movable iron core is displaced in accordance with the attracting action of the coil, and the movable iron core abuts against the fixed iron core. As a result, the abutment sound is generated.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a solenoid-operated valve which makes it possible to maintain quietness by avoiding any generation of abutment sound during the operation of the solenoid-operated valve.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.